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Ucu 1Oo:Communication Skills Question Paper
Ucu 1Oo:Communication Skills
Course:Bachelor Of Education
Institution: Kenyatta University question papers
Exam Year:2009
KENYATTA UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY EXAMINATIONS 2009/2010
FIRST SEMESTER EXAMINATION FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF
ARTS, EDUCATION, ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, SCIENCE, COMMERCE AND
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UCU 100:
COMMUNICATION SKILLS
=================================================================
DATE:
MONDAY 23RD NOVEMBER 2009
TIME: 2.00 P.M. – 4.00 P.M.
INSTRUCTIONS
1.
There are 4 (four) questions in this paper. Candidates must answer all four
questions.
2.
Candidates must write their registration numbers in the space provided on each
answer booklet.
3.
All answer must be written in the answer booklet provided.
Q.1
COMPREHENSION -
(25 MARKS)
Read the text below and then answer the questions that follow.
In the last two chapters we dealt with the theory and principles of democracy. We were
concerned with the basic assumptions underlying the democratic system. A discussion of
liberal democratic ideology is not complete, however, without a review of the various
institutions and procedures used in democratic systems. Put differently, liberal democracy
has two facets: principles, or a philosophy that justifies and guides the policies of popular
government, and procedures, or institutions and systems by which people govern themselves.
The reader will recall, however, that this statement would be challenged by the process
Page 1 of 10
democrats, who argue that democracy is no more than a procedure for decision making.
They claim that it lacks any important philosophical basis, having no special obligation to
particular principles. To these critics a government is democratic as long as it follows the
procedures outlined in this chapter. Principle democrats, on the other hand, insist that
while the procedures used are important, they alone do not make a government democratic.
A true democracy, they believe, must be dedicated to the principles discussed in chapters 3
and 4.
The variety of institutions used in democratic governments is large, and occasionally the
particular system used is a matter of preference. More often, however, a given institution is
used because it is best suited to the people and traditions of a particular society. In any case
it is appropriate to study most important institutions used in democratic governments.
When asked to define democracy most people respond with a statement such as “Democracy
means government by the people.” While this is a simplistic definition, it is useful as long as
it is not taken too literally or considered to be complete. Popular government is indeed the
essence of a democratic system. Early democratic thinkers like John Locke understood this
principle, and they saw the policy-making process as the most important democratic
procedure. Consequently they regarded the legislative process as the core of democracy.
The executive and judicial functions were thought of as service agencies that carried out the
laws made by the people. Accordingly, the democratic process was equated with the policy-
making or legislative process, and the relationship between the people and the legislative
process became the most important criterion for distinguishing among the various democratic
systems.
There are three major democratic systems based on the relationship of the people to the
legislative or policy-making process. In the simplest form, called direct democracy or pure
democracy, the people act as their own legislature. (see Figure 5-1) There are no
representatives; in other words, the people make the laws for themselves. You will recall
that Jean Jacques Rousseau favored this kind of governmental system. He argued that no one
Page 2 of 10
could truly represent another person’s will. Hence, all the individuals in the society must
represent themselves.
This form of democracy has been used by several societies. Ancient Athens practiced direct
democracy, and even today one can find it in some Swiss cantons and in some New England
town meetings. Before the advent of modern technology, direct democracy was not possible
in an area larger than a city-state; therefore it has not been very popular. Today, however, it
is possible for a society, using computers, television, and the telephone, to govern itself in a
much more direct way than was possible in the past. We might all tune in to the government
The
The
People
Legislature
Process
The relationship between
the people and the policy-making
process
is
direct
Figure 5 – 1 direct democracy
hour each morning and listen to the debate on a proposed policy. Then we could each put a
magnetic taped card into a special slot in the telephone and register our vote for or against the
policy. The votes could then be tabulated and recorded in a central computer bank and the
results announced the same day. Obviously more wires would have to be strung across the
country, but such a system is certainly possible.
The problem with direct democracy is no longer a technological one. Today any society that
has the technological capacity to create a direct democracy through electronics is so complex
that the problems it faces may be beyond the understanding of ordinary citizens, given the
limited amount of time they could reasonably be expected to devote to policy matters. Some
states, however, have adopted limited direct democratic practices by which they allow the
people to pass and repeal laws themselves. These procedures will be described later.
Page 3 of 10
A second form of popular government is called indirect democracy, representative
government, or republic. Each of these terms refers to the same system. Because the
nation’s founders used the term republic to describe the indirect form of democracy, we shall
also. However, the word republic originally did not necessarily refer to a democratic
system. It simply meant “government without a king.” The Roman Republic, for example,
was governed by the aristocratic class (patricians) through the Senate, but most of the
citizens of Rome (plebeians) could not serve in the Senate. Though it was certainly not a
democracy, this system was a republic simply because it was not ruled by a king.
British law still uses the traditional definition of republic. There are two kinds of members
of its commonwealth. Countries that choose their own head of state, such as India and
Nigeria, are republican members of the commonwealth. The nonrepublican members are
those that accept the British monarch as their head of state. They include Canada, Australia,
and New Zealand.
The term republic has taken on a somewhat different meaning in the United States. The
word is used in the Constitution and was explained by James Madison in The Federalist (no.
10). Madison made it clear that republic referred to a government of elected
representatives who were responsible to the people to some extent. Hence, the term republic
actually means “democratic republic” in American constitutional law, and the courts have
ruled accordingly in the past. A democratic republic is an indirect form of democracy.
The
The
The
People
Legislator
Legislative
process
The legislator is added, making the
people’s
relationship
to
the
legislative
process
indirect.
Figure 5-2 Republic
Page 4 of 10
Instead of the people making the laws themselves, they elect legislators to do it for them.
Thus the people are removed one step from the legislative process, and their relationship to
the policy-making process is less direct than under the pure form of democracy. (see Figure
5-2.)
One of the interesting facts about this particular form of government is that there is a
negative correspondence between the terms republic and democracy. That is, the more
republican the government, the less democratic it becomes, and vice versa. Put differently,
the more a society gives its representatives to do, the less the people have to do for
themselves. Similarly, the more the people participate in their political system, the less
power their representatives have.
For instance, a system molded along the lines that John Locke favored would be very
democratic and only slightly republican. You will recall that Locke thought that the
popularly elected representatives should be bound to vote the way their constituents wanted.
A less democratic and more republican form would be one in which the elected
representatives were allowed to vote as they thought best on most issues but were bound to
follow their constituents’ instructions on perhaps the ten most important issues each year.
The most republican and least democratic form possible might be one in which the elected
representatives were allowed to vote as they wished on any issue and the people, lacking the
power to make their representatives vote the way they wished, could only defeat them in the
next election if they disagreed with the way they voted. This is the procedure desired by
Edmund Burke and James Madison. Using the definition we have just developed, one must
conclude that the United States’ form of government is highly republican but only slightly
democratic.
U.S. citizens do not have a great deal of formal control over the political system. We have
no direct formal power over who will serve as our judges. We only elect electors, who, in
turn, choose the President, and they are not bound to vote for the candidate the people favor.
We do not have direct electoral control over the members of Congress, but even so we can
Page 5 of 10
vote for these officials only when their terms have expired, and some of those terms are as
long as six years; none is shorter than two years. Further, elections are not held when the
need for them arises; they are held on the first Tuesday following the first Monday of
November in even years.
You will recall that in a democracy the people are supposed to be sovereign, meaning that
they ultimately control the law of the society. Yet, as mentioned in Chapter 4, the people do
not propose or ratify amendments to the constitution of the United States, the country’s
highest law. The people may not pass or repeal federal statutes, nor may they legally remove
public officials before their terms expire. All of these responsibilities are granted by the
people to their representatives.
To suggest that the political system used in the United States is not very democratic is not
necessarily to criticize it, however. It is simply a statement of fact, not a value judgment.
Several states do have much more democratic systems than the national government. Some
state constitutions cannot be amended without a direct vote by the people, and the initiative,
referendum, and recall encourage much more direct popular participation in government as
well as giving the people more formal power over the state government than the people enjoy
over the national government. Yet few serious students of government would argue that the
state governments that give their citizens such powers make better laws or have finer officials
than the national government.
Even so, if we are to truly understand and appreciate our system of government we must
view it realistically. People too often allow themselves to be misled by patriotic statements
about the nature of our system. If one believes the incorrect notion that the U.S. government
is the most democratic in the world, one will be bitterly disappointed when this theory is
tested. This problem is most frequent among young adults. Teachers often oversimplify their
explanations of the America political system. Their students are led to believe that all people
are equal, that the individual is of great importance, and that the political system is based on
these principles. Yet when these young people begin to deal with the system they often find
Page 6 of 10
it unresponsive, bulky, and sometimes even hostile. Little wonder that so many people
become easily discouraged and “turn off” to the system. It is not because the system is evil
or undemocratic. Their dismay stems from the unrealistic expectations encouraged by
simplistic explanations of the system. Given the contrast between these expectations and
reality, their cynicism toward the government seems quite natural. If they were given a more
realistic description of the political system, disillusion might not be such a problem among
young adults.
a)
Explain what is meant by the statement “Democracy means government by the
people.”
(4 marks)
b)
Identify the two democratic systems discussed in the text.
(2 marks)
c)
Why was direct democracy not possible in a larger area than a city-state before
modern democracy?
(3 marks)
d)
Give the meaning of the following words as used in the text:
i)
Literally
ii)
Repeal
iii)
Constituents
iv)
Ratify
v)
Referendum
(5
marks)
e)
What was the original meaning
of
republic?
(2
marks)
f)
Why are some people cynical of the government in the United States?
(3 marks)
g)
Name two facets of liberal democracy?
(2 marks)
h)
How do process democrats look at democracy?
(2 marks)
i)
Define policy making according to
the
text,
(2
marks)
Page 7 of 10
Q.2
TRANSCODING / GRAPH INTERPRETATION.
(15 MARKS)
Use the graph below to answer the questions that follow.
a)
Identify the variables on the vertical and horizontal axis.
(2 marks)
b)
How much was spent on small business computers in 1978?
(2 marks)
c)
What is the total expenditure on minicomputers and small business computers in
1976?
(4
marks)
Page 8 of 10
d)
What is the projected U.S. shipment of computer systems in 1982?
(2 marks)
e)
In FIVE grammatically correct sentences, explain the trend of computer systems
produced by U.S. manufacturers between 1974 and 1978.
(5 marks)
Q.3 LIBRARY
SKILLS
(20 MARKS)
i)
Identify the bibliographic details in the following reference. Pick ANY FIVE items
and say what they are.
James, C. Vaughan. (1989). Business Studies London: cassell publishers Ltd.
(5 marks)
ii)
Rewrite the following reference in any conventional style.
Macmillan Education LTD. 1989. Hong Kong. Mastering Study Skills. R.
Freeman.
(5 marks)
iii)
By writing the item letter only, rearrange the following references as they would
appear
in
a
research
paper.
(10
marks)
a)
Krashen, S.D. (1999). Second language acquisition and second language
learning. London: prentice Hall.
b)
Allen, P. and Swain M. (184). Language Issues and Education policies.
Ontario:
Pergamon
Press
Inc.
c)
Waters, Alan. (1990). English for Specific Purposes. London: Cambridge
University
Press.
d)
Byrne, Donn. (1990). Teaching of Oral English. New Ed. London: Longman.
Page 9 of 10
e)
Sebranek, P. et al. (1996). Writers INC: A Student Handbook for Writing
and learning. Wilmington: heath and Company.
4.
STUDY SKILLS
(10 MARKS)
Mutwiri is a first year student at Mombasa Campus of Kenyatta University. He comes to you
for advice on how to prepare and write examinations. What advice would you give him
under the following headings? Write your answer in note form.
i)
Preparation
(5 marks)
ii)
Writing
examinations.
(5
marks)
Page 10 of 10
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